Misery
by TheTruthBetween
Summary: Sequel to Underneath


_Last night I got off the fence  
'Cuz I won't be the fool_

Sue looked up at Andrew sadly. "I'm sorry, Andrew. I can't do this anymore."

Andrew stared at the rings on the table. "Sue…" he trailed off, at a loss for words. "How long?" he finally asked.

"How long what?"

Meeting Sue's gaze, Andrew asked, "How long do you need?"

Sue shook her head. "It's not about time. God knows I've had that. No, Andrew, this isn't something that can be worked out."

"So what is it?" Andrew asked.

Sighing tearfully, Sue replied, "Does it really matter now? It's can't be fixed, and to be honest, I'm at a place where it's not worth it to me to try and fix it. Call it cowardice, but I'm afraid of the hurt that would bring."

"How can trying to save our marriage, our life, hurt more than letting it go?"

"Andrew…"

Andrew shook his head. "I'm not letting you go, Sue! You're my wife!"

"Well why don't you go marry Karri Bush instead?"

Andrew gaped at Sue. "**That's** what this is about?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, Andrew!" Sue shouted. "That's what this is about! This is about you sleeping with another woman! This is about two years of silence! Two years of broken trust! Two years of fearing, of wonder, every time you were five minutes late for something, if you were with her, or some other woman. Two years of wondering why I wasn't good enough, why our marriage wasn't good enough. Two years of wondering if it still isn't." By the time she finished, Sue's voice was low, filled, no longer with anger, but resignation.

Silent for a long moment, Andrew finally said, realization dawning, "It's really over, isn't it, Sue?"

_ This time I won't take it back  
'Cuz something's coming to you_

Sue nodded, tears starting to spill down her cheeks. "Yeah. It is," she whispered.

Andrew bit the inside of his lip, then pulled out his keys. Taking one off the ring, he handed it to Sue. "I'll stay in a hotel until I can find an apartment. You should stay here with the kids."

"Okay."

Andrew nodded and went up to the bedroom to pack his things.

Placing two suitcases, a backpack and a laptop case/briefcase on the floor by the front door, Andrew went into the kitchen, sitting at the table across from Sue, Chase now sleeping against her shoulder.

"Katrine called while you were packing. She's picking up Daniel when she brings Marissa home, since it's on the way. They should be here soon."

Andrew nodded, then asked, "Is there really nothing that could make this work?"

Sue sighed. "If I said there was, what would you do?"

"Whatever it took, of course."

Sue shook her head, letting out a single breath of unamused laughter. "What do **you** think that is, Andrew?"

Mouth open to speak, he shrugged helplessly.

"That's what I thought. You don't know what the problem is, even after I told you. I'm sorry, Andrew, but this is it. I can't go on like this anymore."

Before Andrew could answer, lights shone through the kitchen window, followed by doors slamming and laughter. The kitchen door burst open. Daniel's honey blond hair was mussed, hazel eyes sparkling and cheeks rosy with merriment. Marissa's light auburn hair was pulled back in a braid, flipped onto her shoulder and hanging to mid-chest. Her blue eyes were fiery and shooting daggers at her older brother.

Daniel's smile faded at the solemn looks on his parents' faces. "Mom? Dad? What's going on?"

"Yeah, is Chase sick or something?" Marissa asked, as the youngest child should have been in bed by then.

"No, Chase is fine," Sue answered.

"Then what is it?"

_ This time I'm going to breathe a breath  
Walking on down the road_

Andrew sighed. "Your mother and I are splitting up."

"_What_?" Marissa screeched. "But… but you don't even fight!"

"I'm sorry, Marissa," Sue said softly, tears forming in her eyes again.

Daniel spoke up for the first time since his initial question. "It's because of that woman you screwed, isn't it, Dad?"

"Daniel!"

"What? It is, isn't it?" Daniel insisted. "On Chase's birthday, when you didn't show up."

Another sigh, then Andrew said, "Yes, it's because I had an affair."

"So who's leaving and who are we staying with?"

"I'm moving out," Andrew answered. "You're staying here with your mom."

Daniel nodded curtly. "Fine. See ya." That said, he stalked up to his room, slamming the door loudly behind him.

Silence reigned in the kitchen.

"Daddy…" Marissa finally said helplessly, tears running down her cheeks.

"Hey, come here, baby." Andrew said softly, holding out his arms.

As the eight-year-old cried on Andrew's shoulder, Sue signed ~I'm sorry~ over top of the sleeping Chase.

"_I know_," Andrew mouthed, then signed ~Me too.~

* * *

This time I won't take it back  
'Cuz something's coming to you  
This time I'm going to breathe a breath  
Walking on down the road

I can never promise that you'll never be lonely  
But as long as we're together it can always only be

Misery

Last night I got off the fence  
'Cuz I won't be the fool  
On this side the grass is greener than  
The garden that I used to grow  
I'm walking on down the road

I can never promise that you'll never be lonely  
But as long as we're together it can always only be

Misery

Misery, misery

I can never promise that you'll never be lonely  
But as long as we're together it can always only be

Misery

Misery

Misery

This time I won't take it back  
'Cuz I won't be the fool

*Misery, by Hanson, from the CD Underneath


End file.
